Testing the Waters

Writers: Stasha
Date Posted: 16th April 2008

Characters: Alasha
Description: Alasha's begins to experience the other aspect of the weyr and has mixed feelings about it
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 9, day 4 of Turn 4

Be discreet, Alasha kept repeating to herself as she and Hedona ventured to the bathing caverns. Her whole body quivered as she neared. She had never gone to the public bathing pools. Instead she always used her father's bathing pool, the one that was safe and private back in his weyr. Nicely secluded and inconspicuous, but this!
Even Zephyr's eyes rolled in hues that reflected her own distress.
"Hedona," Alasha spoke with an voice that was less than secure with what they were doing.

"Come on Alasha," Hedona tugged at the sleeve of Alasha's robe. "It's part of the weyrlife."

"And so's the bathing pool's back at Papa's. So let's go back, please?" The entrance to the pools was too close for her taste now.
Never in her life had anyone, outside of family, ever seen her nude form. And now, to have how many eyes fall on her? And half of them men? No, Alasha could not do it, but Hedona's burning determination drove them on.

Her half sister only laughed back. "Alasha, you're going to be a dragonrider. You can't let nudity bother you."

"But no ones seen me like this." She could not believe she was letting Hedona do this to her.

"Don't worry so much." Hedona gave her the final push through the door. "See, it's not so bad," she motioned to the bathers in the warm water with a grin across her face.

Alasha felt her whole body blush at the sight of so many nude individual. How could they do this? She thought in near disgust.
Alasha had heard about the pools, but she never dared to use them.
Even as a child when A'son assured her it was okay, she refused to come down and insisted on remaining in the safety of her father's weyr.

"By the Egg Alasha!" Hedona called out to her sister as she removed her own robe and set her dry linen and clean clothes next to it.
"Don't be so hold bound! Relax!"

Alasha was staring now. Hedona was completely revealed as she slipped her hourglass form into the water. She did not care to cover her bust, or any other sensitive areas as she stepped in, she just went in with no hesitation and only confidence.

A groan escaped the insecure girl. She could not do this! Just the idea churned her stomach.

"Oh," a man of her own age bumped into her as he attempted to pass through the entrance. "Sorry," he excused himself. He wielded a smile and large dark eyes at her before he passed on, stripped down to nothing.

She lingered on him, her eyes drawing all over his body. Alasha had never seen a naked man before, especially one was as striking as him.
It was enough for her to secure her lustful eyes on him. He had a naturally tan form, with his well toned back, and shoulders with muscles that climbed up his neck. Sculpted rear, and fit legs, the whole site of him was more than easy on Alasha's eyes. Then he glanced over his shoulder at her.

**Shards!** she turned away as her face cascaded into red, which only made her crime more obvious. **Stop staring so much** When she dared to look back up, the man had already dipped into the pools and waded to the other side.

"Alasha!" Hedona called out again. "Come on!"

She sent one more glance across the room as she hurried to the spot where Hedona had set her things. Did it have it have to be so far from the pool? Alasha felt her fingers tie into themselves as she began to undo her robe. **Calm** She attempted to sigh away her fear. **Just get in as soon as you can. And don't let anyone see you** She took another deep breath before she removed the robe, allowing it to fall to her feet. Her arm fell across her breasts, even though her hair was long enough to hide them, while her hand quickly moved to maintained whatever dignity she had left. Though she did not run, she was quick to enter the pool. Even when the water provided some shelter for her, her hands never left.

"See?" Hedona poked at the girl.

Alasha only cast a glare back at her sister. Zephyr, on the other hand, paddled around contently.

"Oh, don't give me that," she splashed Alasha with a wave of water to help her relax. "See, even Zephyr likes it."

A growl escaped Alasha. "He's a flit, not a human."

Hedona only laughed before she took the sweet sand and began to scrub Alasha's shoulders. "It was hard when I went in yesterday, but I got use to it."

"How can you get use to this? This! There are naked people, Hedona.
Naked people. Nude men!" Alasha sunk herself into the water with her humiliation. Only her eyes remained above the surface, studying the people around her.

"Yes, they are all in the nude," Hedona lifted Alasha's chin out of the water with her finger. "Just like you. Which is why you shouldn't let it bother you so much."

"You know you're beginning to make me think you're weyrbred... and _I'm_
the one who's the rider's daughter."

"Then stand up," the older sister encouraged Alasha. "Don't worry so much. Besides, even if they do look, it's only a compliment."

Alasha turned to her eyes to her body. There was nothing bulging from obesity, and it was not as if she were grotesque. Still, there was enough there for her to hide. She did not hate her body, she just did not like the idea of other people seeing enough to give a critique on it. Were her hips to big? Was their not enough shape to her soft abdomen? Were her curves too much? Could there not be more tone in her legs? Was her skin too pale and blotchy? Did she have dimples in the wrong cheeks? And her breasts? What about her breasts? In the end Alasha's insecurities made her feel awkward, like she was floundering.
Without clothing she felt her form lose all grace, and mystique. She was no longer Alasha.

"Alasha," Hedona pushed aside one of Alasha's long black strands of hair. "You can't hide behind a dress forever."

She turned her gray eyes up to her sister.

"Look, no one is watching you. They're living their life day to day, just like you should be doing right now."

"How can you do this Hedona?"

The older sister only smiled back. "Because my fear left me the moment I left the cothold, Alasha."

The answer lured Alasha just enough so that her shoulder's brushed the surface of the water.

"We just traveled from Amber Hills to Dragonsfall, and we nearly got killed in the process. You saw thread fall, we survived through blizzards, and with little food, I mean," she sighed. "You made it through all of that, you survived. And I think after all of that, you could turn an eye away from a little modesty."

Alasha cast one more gaze over the peaches and pinks, tans and creams that blended with the waters of the bathing pools. No one watched them. No one sent a curious glance. There was nothing sinister about the waters and the people in it, though that did not mean it could not be. The bathing pools could easily be construed into something vile, Alasha realized, but she did not have to be a part of that. She could come simply for the day to day processes of cleanliness and grooming, just like everyone else that was there splashing around her and scrubbing themselves with sweetsand. Still, she preferred the confined pool of her father's weyr.

She straightened herself a little bit more as Hedona handed her some sweet sand. The water met her at her collar bone now and lapped over her shoulders. Alasha never said another word as she cleansed herself, nor did she completely expose herself for all the weyr to see. She kept what modesty she had left, if she had any left at all, and when she finally exited the pools she was swift and discreet.

Once dry and oiled she slipped the dress on. Her hair was still moist so she tied it back in a crude knot; she would brush it later. It was not until she reached for the linen on the ground that a man approached her to gather his own items that were placed next to her.
When she glanced up she realized it was the same man as before.

"See," he spoke in his playful tenor voice as he slipped on his shirt over his firm body. "That wasn't so bad."

Before she could make a response the rider gave her a final smile and he left her standing speechless.

Last updated on the April 17th 2008

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Testing the Waters